Sindh Governor Kamran Khan Tessori has underscored the pivotal role of modern education in empowering Pakistan's youth.
He said this while addressing the twelfth convocation of the Indus University in Karachi, where hundreds of students were handed degrees. He called for a national consensus to promote modern and quality education, which can help Pakistani youth secure jobs locally and internationally.
Governor Tessori also conferred a doctorate degree and a gold medal on Houston-based Pakistani-American businessman and philanthropist Tanweer Ahmed, who recently donated $9 million to the National University of Science and Technology (NUST) to build a new IT Tower.
The governor stated that the university agreed to confer Ahmed with the honorary degree on his recommendation for the latter's contribution to Pakistan's information technology (IT) sector and supporting underprivileged children, as well as Ahmed's role for Pakistan during last year's floods.
Tessori urged the more affluent overseas Pakistanis to come forward and help Pakistan's youth gain quality IT education.
"It's my mission to give respect to those Pakistanis in Pakistan and abroad who help Pakistan. I will also recommend Ahmed for the Tamgha-e-Imtiaz for his services," Tessori stated during the convocation.
After receiving the honorary doctorate, Ahmed said: "This degree is a huge honour for me. I believe in the empowerment of youth through IT investment. Unfortunately, Pakistan is left behind in this crucial area. Finally, there is a realisation that Pakistan is making the right efforts. I decided to make the donation, impressed by the army chief's efforts to promote IT through the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC). This donation is only for the IT sector."
Recently, Ahmed donated $9 million to NUST to help students from impoverished backgrounds access quality education through scholarships. He also announced that he will be working with additional educational institutions to arrange donations to fund IT education.
NUST has confirmed that Ahmed has partnered with the university through an endowment fund for unprivileged students, which will benefit nearly 200 students who can study on scholarships every year.
The entrepreneur said Pakistan has essential infrastructure available along with significant public sector investment in resource development.
"Pakistan has untapped digital potential of $59.6 billion (Rs9.7 trillion) and FinTech potential of $35 billion by 2025. IT base potential is evidenced by a 47% growth in freelancing, which ranks fourth in the world. Pakistan's youth under 30 years comprises 64% of the population, which is our biggest resource," he added.